Cross winding frame



Jan. 11,-1944. w. ESSER ETAL 2,333,914

cnoss WINDING FRAME Filed March 29, 1940", ,5 Sheets-Sheet 1 R M INVENTOR6 a M I 4 2 BY ji iii. 1.], 1944. w. ESSER ETAL CROSS WINDING FRAME 5 Sheets-She 2 Filed March 29, 1940 IN VENT 0R5 Jan. 11, 1944. w. ESSER ETAL 2,338,914

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Jan. 11,1944. w. EssER ETAL cnoss WINDING FRAME .5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 29, 1940 QMm hm aa f MMI M UMWH w ,l. Q m m u MI .wr ll m mmm h 3&4 L

Jan. 11,1944. w, ss R ETAL 2,338,914;

CROSS WINDING FRAME Filed March 29, 1940 5 sheetsqfiheet 5 Patented Jan. 11, 1944 I E CROSS WINDING FRAME Wilhelm Esser, Gladbach-Rheydt, Gustav Kahlisch, Rheydt, and Walter Reiners, Gladbach- Rheydt, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application March 29, 1940, Serial No. 326,641 In Germany April 18, 1939 5 Claims.

In order to do away, as much as possible, with manual labour on winding frames, it has already been proposed to arrange, in the individual winding points, magazines for feeding bobbins and thread knotting devices, so that, when the thread supply ceases, the accumulating bobbin is lifted off its driving pulley and braked, in order that the end of the yarn not yet wound on could be knotted together with the beginning of the yarn from a reserve supply bobbin which in the mean- 3 time had been brought to the running position. A requisite for all these known devices is, therefore, that the broken end of the winding bobbin be still sufficiently long and remain within the range of the knotting device. the magazine consists of a plate rotating horizontally in front of the supply bobbin and carrying at the same time in a bell some of the necessary building elements, whereas another part of these building elements, together with the knotting arrangement must be disposed at the side of the bell in front of the winding bobbin, in order to render certain, as far as possible, the intended knotting operation, the spacing of spindles of the frame must be greater than usual. Furthermore, winding points are not easily accessible and cannot be surveyed readily.

According to the invention, when a supply bobbin carrier is used, which is of the known type,

comprising a star shaped device rotating in a 5 vertical plane to eject automatically an exhausted tube and to swing into running position a reserve bobbin, a central control device is arranged above the rotary star, but below the collecting bobbin,

which central control device, influenced by the broken end feeler arranged in front of it, in turn causes the stopping and backward rotation of the winding bobbin and the operation of thread pick up and knotting devices. Without increasing the normal spacing of the spindles on the spindle frame, this arrangement is clearly visible and easily accessible. It has already become known, to employ a so-called travelling knotting device, in winding frames with star shaped supply bobbin carriers rotating in vertical planes. In such arrangements the replacement of the supply bobbins is effected, however, from a conveying band movable towards the rotary stars, so that the knotting device can operate only after the movements of the conveying band toward the frame and toward the pegs of the rotary stars have been terminated. The knotting at the individual winding unit when the yarn has broken, furthermore, requires a somewhat wider shape of the spinning frame in the practical construction, in order to Since, moreover,

prevent disturbance of the winding procedure at the other winding units.

In the known winding frames the knotting device operates whenever the yarn feeding is interrupted, whether it takes place because the thread breaks or because the bobbin becomes exhausted. According to the invention the mechanism for the supply bobbin change operates independently of the control procedure initiated by the thread feeler, only when the supply bobbin is exhausted; for instance, by means of two feeler levers which bear against the end of the supply bobbin and initiate the bobbin changing when the bobbin is exhausted, before the thread pick-up and knotting devices begin to operate, so that the pickingup device finds a reserve bobbin in the winding position.

In order to pick-up the end of the broken yarn on the winding bobbin, this bobbin is automatically turned back, a in the known pick-up arrangements, in order that the pick-up member can grip the end of the arn. This is simplified, according to the invention, in that the friction roller which acts upon the thread guiding drum to turn back the collecting bobbin, for uncovering the end of the wound-on and broken yarn, after the winding bobbin has been disengaged from its drive and stopped, is locally eccentrically flattened on its surface, so that, when detached from its driving mechanism, it is no longer driven from the thread guiding drum.

According to the invention the suction arm of the pick-up device, which is pushed over the un exhausted supply bobbin when a yarn breaks, is constructed preferably so that it can be guided by a separate telescoping guide means parallel to the axis of the supply bobbin.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings somewhat diagrammatically, by way of example.

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation four winding units of a winding frame, illustrating two different arrangements.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same windin units.

Fig. 3 i a plan view of the supply bobbin heads of the same winding units.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections approximately on lines IV--IV and V--V, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly in, section, of the control mechanism for exchanging the supply bobbins.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 6, showing the same mechanism in side elevation.

all 2,838,914

Fig. 8 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the control mechanism of the knotting device.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 8, showing the same mechanism in side elevation.

Figs. 10 and 11 are vertical sections of parts of the Winding and thread detector mechanisms, Fig. 16 being in normal running position and Fig. 11 in the position shortly after the thread breaks.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on the line XII- XII of Fig. 10.

The four winding units serving to illustrate the invention may be separated, for instance, by the frame walls la to id, in which the shafts 2, i, 5, 6 and 1, common to the winding units, are journalled, and on which the other individual elements are suitably supported. Part or all of the shafts 2 to I may be subdivided in spindle groups, or an individual motor drive may be provided for each shaft according to the subdivision of the Winding frame, which. depends, for instance, on the magazine arrangement and the Winding of the supply bobbin heads. This is shown in Fig. 1 by the relative position of the supply bobbin magazines 24a and 241), or 240 and respectively. To simplify the disclosure, however, the control means for the winding units adjacent th frame walls is and id are placed between these frame walls, whereas in the practical form of construction, the magazines Me and 25d would be closer together, the partitions I and id would be omitted, and the control means would be located behind. Such an arrangement reduces the number of frame walls and offers, for instance, the possibility that a single suction arm is sufficient for catching the supply threads of adjacent winding units.

The chief elements of the machine constructed and controlled according to the invention (supply bobbin head, winding bobbin head, yarn knotting arrangement, and main control gear influenced by the yarn feeler) are arranged for instance as follows:

Every supply bobbin head is equipped, as shown in Fig. 4, with the usual star-shaped bobbin carrier 2 i, rotatably mounted on stationary shaft 3, the four pegs 22 of which bobbin carrier project at right angles. A runnin bobbin is shown at K1 and a reserve bobbin at K2. Th latter is the lowermost bobbin of a series of bobbins held in the curved chute 25 s of the magazine 24. This magazine is mounted to reciprocate horizontally on rails 2dr, for the purpose of pegging a new reserve bo bin. The top plate of the curved chute an opening E ie above the reserve bobbin Ks, to allow the bobbin to be turned up into the running position K1, by rotation of the bobbin carrier. Stripping cams 23 are mounted in fixed position on shaft 3 beside the bobbin carrier 2!, their upper cam edges being adapted to engage the base of an exhausted bobbin tube H, as the bobbin carrier turns, and to push the tube off its peg 22, so that it falls down chute 25a onto the conveyor 25. For reciprocating the magazine 25 there is provided crank mechanism, some. of the details of which appear on a larger scale in Figs. 6 and '7. Rotatably mounted on shaft is a gear st meshing with, and constantly driven by, gear clutched to constantly running shaft 2 by a spring actuated friction clutch iii-a. Beside the gear 36 there is keyed The belt 35 is shown engaged, in Fig. '6,

Add on the magazine 26.

but is normally withheld from the socket 38a by a detent 3! pivoted to the machine frame at am and having a wedge-shaped end 33 adapted to engage in a notch 35 of sliding bolt 34, to shift the latter to the right, in Fig. 6. This uncouples the bush ill from gear 355 and leaves the bush stationary, until the detent 3! is rocked, by means to be described presently. Fixed to the end of shaft 2'5 is a crank ts, connected by a wrist pin 13a to a crank 42 fixed upon a shaft 25a. The wrist pin 43a is connected by a link 44 to a pin Upon rotation of the crank mechanism 52, 2-3, isa, the magazine is moved to the left in Fig. i and in this position the bobbin carrier 2! is free to turn. An angular movement of the bobbin carrier through 90 is effected by a pin il on crank arm 42, which engages the downwardly 6X"8llCilllg peg 22 of the bobbin carrier and turns the latter. The movement of the bobbin carrier is synchronized with the reciprocation of the magazine, so that the movement of the peg up toward horizontal position is not obstructed. Conventional spring detent means (not shown) may be provided to assist the movement of, and control the end position of, the bobbin carrier. The return movement of the magazine 2 to the position shown in Fig. 4 occurs when the downwardly extending empty peg 22 has moved up to horizontal position, so that the bobbin which has rolled down to the bottom position in the magazine chute, as the reserve bobbin K2 is swung out, is skewered on the then horizontally extending peg 22.

Means are provided to release the detent 3| from the bolt 35 when a supply bobbin becomes exhausted. In the drawing this is shown as comprising a relay is having an armatur iiiia connected by a link .52 to the detent iii. The circuit of the armature is connected to an electric main 36b and includes a switch comprising two pivoted arms 39 and at bearing against the lower end of the m nning bobbin K1. The tube H of the bobbin is of metal and when the yarn becomes exhausted a circuit is completed across the arms 3! by the tube and the relay (i3 is excited, retracting the detent 3i and initiating the supply bobbin change.

The yarn from each supply bobbin is collected in a cross wound package 6, being wound upon a tube l? rotatably supported at the ends of arms A 'rockably mounted on a stationary shaft i. Beneath each tube T, or package S, is a helically grooved drum 6 i, mounted on constantly running shaft At the end of the drum is a friction ch keyed to shaft '5 so as to slide axially -on, but to be rotated thereby, and adapted to bear a ainst a fricti ":1 plate on the end of the drum To the right of clutch itt on shaft 1 is'rotatably mounted a thrust bearing 13 having inclined end surfaces enacting with comple rnent'arily inclined surfaces lid on a bearing 38b in which shaft 3 is journalled. The bearing 13b is mounted on an extending upward from casing Ltd, which. encloses the main con trol niech to be described in detail presthrust bearing "5? has an arm 12, rocked downward to thrust the clutch E63 ac -st the friction plate by the cam action of the inclined end faces of the bearings i3, and 71th, thus coupling driving drum 6i to the constantly running shaft 7. The thread F moves from' the supply bobbin Ki through a tensioner 5b and the cam drum to the winding package S. The bobbin and tensioner are located under one end of the cam drum, so that when the thread has travelled in the groove of the drum to the far end of the drum, it jumps out of the groove and travels back under the diagonal pull.

Means are provided to lift the arm I2 upon breakage of the thread, in order to uncouple the driving drum 6! from the shaft I. An arm I26 (Figs. 10-12) is provided with a hub I26a extending in both directions from the arm, one end of the hub being journalled in a bearing 'I3e of the casing 53d, while the other end of the hub has rockably mounted upon it an arm I25, which extends out through a hole Ia of the casing Kid. The extending end of the arm I25 is connected by a link II to the arm I2. The arms I25 and I26 are interconnected by a lug and slot connection, as shown in Fig. 12, which permits the arm I 25 to rock upward without influence on the arm I23, but downward movement of the arm I23 will rock upward the arm I25. A tension spring I63, connected at one end to arm I26 and at the other end to the casing 13d, normally pulls the arm I26 upward. The hub of arm I26 has a central hole in which is journalled the middle, horizontal arm of a thread detector I2I, I22. lhe arm l2l of the thread detector is bent iorizontally at its lower end to engage the thread F just above the tensioner 6! The arm I22 has a horizontally extending pin I23 normally positioned above the arm I26, when the thread is under tension, but adapted to drop into the notch I24 when the thread breaks or runs out. A com stantly rotating shaft I3I, journalled in the casing 73d, has fixed upon it a cam member I32, which normally revolves freely past the end of arm 525, but which engages the pin I23 when the latter drops into notch I24. In this case the arm I26 is rocked down by the cam I32 and rocks the arms I25 and I2 to release the drum IiI from shaft l. At the same time a cam 251) on arm I23 lifts the stem Ma of a brake I4 and pressing the latter against the drum EI. The arm I26 is held down by the cam member I32 as long as the high part of the cam travelling over pin I23, as shown in Fig. 11, As soon as the high part of the cam leaves the pin I23, 2. spring 233, against which the arm I 22 bears, when held down by the cam I 32, throws the released arm I22 upward and the pin I23 catches on a hook I44, holding the thread detector in the inoperative position shown in dot and dash lines. This allows the arms I26, I23 to rock far enough to release the brake I4, but other means, now to be described, prevent the arms from returning to normal position and reengaging the clutch I until a knotting operation has been completed. Rockably mounted in the casing 13d is a shaft I33a (see Figs. 4, 8 and 9) having fixed to it an arm I33. The end of the arm 33 is forked to engage a pin I261 on arm I 23. Outside of the casing 132) the shaft I33a has fixed upon it an arm I34, the end I35 of which controls the coupling of a flange I39, fixed to a constantly rotating shaft 3, to the flanges I38 of a sprocket unit, comprising sprocket wheels a, 13a, 9211. A coupling bolt I36 is slidably mounted in a hole I364; of the sprocket unit hub and is urged by a compression spring I36b toward a socket I335; of flange I38. The end I of arm I34 engages in a notch I 350 of coupling bolt I36 and is wedge-shaped to thrust the bolt to the left (Fig. 8), to uncouple the flanges I38 and I39. When the arm 523 is rocked downward, as previously described, the lever unit I33,. I33a, I34, is rocked counterclockwise, and the bolt I36 is released to couple the flanges I38 and I39. During the rotation of the sprocket unit which then occurs, the arm I34 is held up by the portion of the hub between flanges I38 and this retains the coupling I53 between the cam drum BI and shaft I in a disengaged condition. The condition is terminated at the end of one revolution of the sprocket unit, when the wedge end I 35 of arm I 34 drops again into the notch of the coupling bolt I35 and uncouples the flanges I38 and I39.

In the meantime, knotter mechanism becomes operative, in a manner to be described, to connect up the broken thread ends, or to connect the leading end of the thread of a new supply bobbin with the trailing end of the winding pack age. This mechanism includes means for finding the thread end of a partially exhausted supply bobbin, or of a new supply bobbin, and the thread end on the winding package, and carrying these ends to a knotter mechanism. The means for finding the thread end on the winding package is associated with means for rotating the winding package backward. For the latter purpose, there is rotatably mounted upon bearings of a bracket 15a fixed to the machine frame, a shaft 15b with a roller I5 fixedly mounted upon it, which is positioned close enough to engage the drum 3| when rotated, but has a flattened portion 150, which allows the drum GI normally to rotate without engaging the roller 15. The shaft 15b has fixed to it a gear I3 meshing with a gear 11, the latter being fixed upon a shaft IIa also journalled in the bracket 15a. fixed upon it a sprocket Ilb over which is trained a chain I3, the lower end of which meshes with sprocket wheel 1811. Thus when the sprocket 18a is turned, upon the coupling of flanges I 38 and I39, the roller I5 rotates and turns the drum BI and the winding package S in the direction opposite to their normal winding direction.

A. suction pipe 93, exhausted by a blower 93a, has a branch pipe 34, to which is articulated a curved pipe 98, which terminates in a nozzle I00 having a breadth equal to that of the winding package S. The tube 98 is normally in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, but is adapted to be rocked to the position shown in dash lines in that figure, in which position its nozzle I30 is close to the winding package S and is adapted to suck up the thread end as the package S is turned backward by the roller I5. The joint 93a of the pipe 98 has an arm 3%, to which is connected a link 93. The opposite end of this link is hooked over the hub of a heart cam I6] and has a pin 9611. which rides upon the heart cam NH. The heart cam is fixed to a tube I6Ia revolubly mounted upon stationary shaft 5 and also journalled in the frame Ia, lb, etc. The tube IBIa has fixed upon it a sprocket 9% over which is trained a chain meshing with sprocket 90a. The single revolution of the latter sprocket, when the flanges I38 and I39 are coupled, rotates heart cam IBI through one revolution and rocks the tube 98 to its dash line position, where it dwells briefly and is then rocked back to its full line position, carrying with it the thread end which has been picked up from the winding package S. To the lower end of pipe 93 is jointed a tube 91, which terminates in a funicular mouth 99. The tube 9! is adapted to swing from the full line position of Fig. 5 to the dash line position. It is composed of a flexible telescopic middle section 31a and two end sections 01?) and 970 and is supported by an arm 91d fixed to the section 911) and terminating in a forked end engaging a pin 9Ie The shaft I'Ia has on the section Sic. The pin 91c also has pivoted to it a tube N52 with a flared mouth adapted to pass over a fixed guide pin I93 as the tube 91 swings down to the dash line position. By this means the mouthpiece 99 is guided over the bobbin K1 parallel to the axis of the bobbin tube H, which is or importance if the bobbin has been partially exhausted and its remaining thread is oniy upon its lower end. As the end 89 of the tube iii executes this straight line movement, the middle section 97a is flexed to the position shown in dash lines in Fig. 5. The joint section 911) of the tube 9? has extending rigidly from it an arm 85a to which is articulated a link 95 extending upward and provided at its upper end with a fork embracing the hub of a heart cam lSlb,

which, like the heart cam iti, is fixed upon the tube it ia. A. pin 95b on link 95 engages the heart cam Hiib to reciprocate the link and thereby to swing the tube 9'! from its full line position to its dash line position and back. In moving back, the mouthpiece 9d of the tube 9? carries with it a thread end picked up from the bobbin K1. There is pivoted on the mouthpiece 99 an arm H31, on the journal of which is fixed a cam finger sew. adapted to engage a fixed pin 13 5 as the tube 5'! swings up, and to be cammed thereby to throw the arm It! up to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. In executing this movement the arm it! engages the bights of the thread ends drawn over by the mouthpieces 99 and I96 and moves them up to the position shown in Fig.

5. In this position they are stretched across the bills Sta of a knotter 9!. The construction of the knotter is not shown in detail, because it forms no part of the invention, but there are many knotters known, capable of knotting together two ends of thread laid together across the knotter bills. By way of example, reference is made to Peterson Patent No. 959,592. The knotter mechanism is operated by a pinion I64 (Fig. 8), which executes one revolution with the sprocket unit Eda, 18a, 96a, each time the knotting operation is initiated by the lifting of arm Hid from coupling bolt H35. When the knotting of the thread ends has been completed and they have been released from the knotter bills, the lever unit ltd, itiia, 533 rocks clockwise, as the wedge end I35 drops into the notch i360 of the coupling bolt Hit: and stops the sprocket unit. The lever unit 626, i255 rocks counterclockwise and the clutch I53 is reengaged. The thread is drawn taut and is guided by guide arms Gila into the tensioner 68. Within the casing 13d is rockably mounted a lever M2, M3. A spring 143a holds up the arm M3, the end of which overhangs the hook M 5. The arm M2 of the lever stands over a cam Ml fixed to the hub of the sprocket unit. As the sprocket unit approaches the end or? its revolution, the cam Ml rocks the lever :42, M3 and tilts the hook M4 to release the thread detector EM, 122, which swings down to the operative position shown in Figs. 4 and 10.

There has been described a mechanism for iinding the thread ends of the winding bobbin and the supply bobbin and knotting them together, operated by a main control mechanism tripped by a thread detector. The thread detector will ordinarily operate at any time the thread breaks or becomes exhausted, but occasionally the thread end of an exhausted supply bobbin will become tangled with the thread detector and prevent it from being tripped in the norma1 manner. For this reason there is provided a secondary drive for the thread end finding and knotter mechanisms, operated each time the supply bobvin holder executes a 99 movement to bring the reserve bobbin into runnipr position. For this purpose there is mounted on the shaft 25 beside the bush 2? a sprocket 253 having a hub 28 with ratchet teeth meshing with complementary ratchet teeth on the bush iii. The sprocket 29 is urged toward the bush 2i by a spring 2%. A chain 36 connects the sprocket 25] with sprocket 38a of the sprocket unit its, Mia. The bush 2'! drives the sprocket unit in the same direction as it is driven by the shaft 25, when the flanges 5. 53 and I35? are coupled. Vihen the sprocket unit is driven by the flange 539 of shaft 6, the teeth of sprocket 2s ratchet over the teeth of bush 2'! without moving the latter. Thus. the movement of a new supply bobbin to running position is always accompanied by a thread end finding and knotting operation, regardless of the operation of the thread detector, but a thread end finding and knotting operation can be initiated by the thread detector without moving the supply bobbin carrier, required when the thread breaks.

Means are provided to interrupt the dri e of the winding bobbin when it reaches a certain diameter. For this purpose an electromagnet 153 has an armature connected by a link it i to the arm 26. The circuit of the electromagnet is connected to the main and inch e a switch comprising spring contacts 5:. mounted on an arm Isl, adjustably by a set screw 955, to the stationary shaft 6.. The spring contacts extend over one of the arms A supporting the Winding bobbin 5 and when the latter reaches a certain diameter the contacts are bridged by the arm A and the electromagnet :53 operates to throw up the clutch arm l2 di engage the driving drum ti roam. the shaft 1. This movement of the arm E25 by the electromagnet I53 operates the brake l t by cam Eli-5b to stop the driving roller but, to the connection between the arms 25 and the latter is not moved.

The operation of the machine as a whole will now be briefly described. At each winding unit, supply bobbins are mounted on two of the supply bobbin carrier 2! at K1 and K2 the magazine 24 is filled. A tube T i mounted on the arms A and rests upon the driving 6!. A thread is drawn up from the supply bo bin K1, through the tensioner and the groove of drum 6i and fixed to the tube T. The thread detector lZl, E22 is released from the hook 5M and assumes the position shown in ii). When all the winding units are set up in this way the machine is started. The thread i cross wound upon the tube T and the supply bobbin K1 becomes exhausted. The contact 39 and ii? move into contact with the metal tube H of the exhausted supply bobbin and close the circuit of the relay 38. The detent arm 3% is retracted and the coupling bolt is engaged. During the first part of the revolution of the crank mechanism 52, 43, the connecting rod idmoves the magazine outward and the pin ii swings the bobbin carrier 2i through a quarter revolution. The exhausted bobbin tub-e H i stripp-e off by the strippers and drops onto the conveyor 25. The bobbin is moved from reserve position to running position and the bobbins in the magazine shift down one step.

Meanwhile, the chain has been driving the sprocket unit 30a, its, the. The chain or drives the heart cams ltl and Hill), which actuate t.-e

links 96 and 95, throwing the suction arm 98 up and the suction arm 31 down to the dash line positions of Fig. 5. Th mouthpiece 39 drops down over the end of the new supply bobbin, which ha arrived in the running position K1. In this movement the mouthpiece 99 is guided by the tube I62 and pin I33. The suction arm 91 then rocks back to the full line position shown in Fig. 5, carrying with it the thread end picked up from the new supply bobbin. During the latter movement the crank mechanism 42, 43 is oing through the second half of its revolution, drawing in the magazine 24 and skewering on the peg 22 which has moved up to horizontal position a new supply bobbin. At the end of the revolution of the crank 42, 43, the detent arm 3I disengages the coupling bolt 34 and stops the crank.

In the winding head there has been going on simultaneously the following series of operationsz-The sprocket unit is being revolved by the chain 30, as previously described. This rocks the lever unit I34, I33a, I33 counterclockwise, releasing the coupling bolt I3B for engagement, and rocks the lever unit I26, I25, clockwise, throwing up the clutch arm 12 and disengaging the friction clutch I63, to release the drum 6| from its drive shaft '1. The chain 78, driven by the sprocket "18a, drives the roller I5, which engages the drum (BI and revolves the winding package S backward. The suction arm 93 is rocked up by the heart cam NH and, after picking up the thread end from the backwardly rotating package S, returns to the full line position shown in Fig. 5, at the same time the suction arm 91 reaches the full line position. Near the end of the movement of the suction arm 91 the cam I3 Ia of the arm IfiI engages pin I04 and throws the arm IDI up to the full line position of Fig. 5. This lays the two thread ends in parallel position over the knotter bills 9Ia. The latter are then driven by the pinion I64 to execute a knotting operation. At about the time the knotted ends are released by the knotter, the sprocket unit has completed a revolution and the lever unit I33, I33a, I34 rocks clockwise into the notch of the coupling bolt I36 and releases it. This occurs at the same time the coupling bolt 34 is disengaged and the sprocket unit therefore stops. The lever unit I23, I25 is rocked counterclockwise by the lever arm I33 and engages the friction clutch I33, so that the package S begins to wind again. This draws the thread taut and the guide arms I65 guide it into the tensioner 6B. The lever I42, I43 is operated by cam I4I just before the sprocket unit completes its revolution and the thread detector I2I, I22 is released to follow the thread into the position shown in Fig, 10. The roller 75 stops in the position shown in Fig. 4, with its eccentric portion 75b opposite the winding drum BI, and therefore remains out of contact with the winding drum during the Winding operation.

If the thread breaks, a thread finding and knotting operation is initiated by the thread detector, without effect upon the supply bobbin carrier. The thread detector I2I, I22, released by the breakage of the thread, rocks clockwise, until the pin I23 drops into the notch I24 of arm I25. This is followed immediately by engagement of the continuously rotating cam member I32 with the pin I23 and the rocking of the lever unit I26, I25 to the position shown in Fig. 11. The clutch arm I2 is thrown up and disengages the friction clutch I63, uncoupling the driving drum 6| from the shaft I. ,At the same time the cam I25b pushes up the brake I4 against the driving drum 3| and brings the latter to a stop. The high part of cam member I32 soon passes the pin I23 and the thread detector is thrown by the spring 233 into the dot and dash line position of Fig. 11, where it is held bythe hook I44. The brake i4 is released, but the clutch I63 is held disengaged. The clockwise rocking of lever unit I23, I23 rocks the lever unit I33, I33a, I34 counterclockwise and releases the coupling bolt I36 for engagement. 'I'he sprocket unit 330., 18a, 93a begins to revolve and the thread finding and knotting operations are executed in the manner previously described.

Ordinarily the exhaustion of a supply bobbin will result in the release of the thread detector and the energizing of the main control mechanism thereby. But in case the thread end becomes entangled so that it cannot release the thread detector, the main control mechanism will nevertheless be operated by the sprocket 23. The only difference is that in this case the brake I4 is not applied before the roller 15 moves into engagement with the driving drum 3L The whole thread finding and knotting operation, as well as the bobbin change, takes place in a few seconds.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a winding package, means for supporting a supply bobbin, means for rotating the winding package, knotter mechanism, thread catching means for drawing an end of thread from the winding package to said knotter mechanism, thread catching means for drawing an end of thread from the supply bobbin to said knotter mechanism, driving mechanism adapted to actuate said thread catching means and said knotter mechanism in succession, and control means for said driving mechanism comprising a thread detector normally resting against the thread being wound from the supply bobbin to the winding package and adapted to initiate an operation of said driving mechanism upon failure of tension of the thread.

2. A machine as described in claim 1, wherein said means for supporting a supply bobbin comprises a movable carrier device having means for holding a running bobbin and means for holding a reserve bobbin, a magazine, a second driving means adapted to move said supply bobbin carrier to advance the reserve bobbin to running position and to cause a new supply bobbin to be mounted upon said carrier, and driving connections between said two driving means, including a one-way clutch, whereby said second driving means can drive said first driving means, but said iirst driving means cannot drive said second drivmg means.

3. In a winding machine, means for supporting a winding package, a driving drum for the windmg package, and means for rotating the winding package backward, comprising a friction drum the periphery of which is composed of a cylindrical part and an eccentric part nearer to the axis of the friction drum than said cylindrical part, said friction drum being mounted on an axis having a fixed parallel relation to the axis of said driving drum, so that said cylindrical part of the periphery of said friction drum can engage said driving drum, but said eccentric part cannot engage said driving drum.

4, In a winding machine, means for' supporting 5. A winding machine as described in claim 4, a bobbin for axial unwinding, a thread finding wherein said thread finding member comprises a member movable with respect to the bobbin and suction tube pivoted at one end remote from its having a suction mouth adapted to pass over the mouth and having a telescopic middle section. end of the bobbin, and guide means to constrain 5 WI'LHELM ESSER. said suction mouth to move in a straight line GUSTAV KAHLISCH; axially of the bobbin. WALTER REINERS. 

